The other side
On Feb. 25, 2018, her life and all of her dreams almost came to a sudden end.
But on Dec. 10, 2022, Kathy Pisabaj ’22 BS NUT walked across the stage at commencement towards the bright future she has been working for in clinical pediatrics, with the knowledge and empathy that come from heart-wrenching experience.
Pisabaj spent that day four years ago at church, then with friends and family. Her boyfriend was driving her home.
Without warning, she became one of the nearly 3,000 Chicagoans who were victims of gun violence in 2018. In that weekend alone, four people were killed and 22 wounded. Pisabaj’s shooter has not been apprehended.
“It feels like they just do not investigate a normal person being shot, especially those of us who are Black and brown. Justice is not being served to us,” Pisabaj said in an essay published Oct. 11 online at CNN.com.
After a week in the hospital, Pisabaj began the hard work of getting her life back. She temporarily paused her studies at Wright Community College and postponed her application to UIC for a year.
Besides physical injuries, she had post-traumatic stress disorder. She needed a therapist, but struggled to find one.
As she healed, Pisabaj became active in Everytown for Gun Safety, spreading the message of gun violence prevention at Lollapalooza and other events. At Wright, she founded the first Illinois chapter of Students Demand Action.
“It helped me get through what happened and use it to create something better,” she said.
Pisabaj refused to give up her dream of becoming a clinical nutritionist. As a teen, she had been diagnosed with an eating disorder and was referred to a dietitian who helped her have a better relationship with food. She became fascinated by nutrition science.